Here Jon Talks About His Life and Whines a Lot
Oct 15th, '03
Reality Check Time
Okay, I need a reality check here. I am highly conflicted over this grocery clerk strike. I believe unions are a vital part of our country. But this strike seems more like the workers screwing everyone for their own benefit. I'd appreciate some feedback on this.
The grocery clerks who are striking here in SoCal are the highest paid in the industry, and they have the best benefits. Under the new deal they were offered they would continue to be the highest paid and have the best benefits.
This grocery store strike smells like bullshit. Striking over something only 4% of contemporaries have? In a down economy? Screw that. I'm crossing the picket lines.
The union is using people's good will towards solidarity and unions as a tool for their own greed. I see no reason to support this strike. In fact I'm offended that sympathies are being played with like this. I know people who are struggling to make ends meet who would jump at an $18/hour job with $15 co-pay for full family health coverage. In fact I haven't ever worked a job that had 100% free health coverage for my whole family. Does anyone here get that?
Another thing this is bringing to my attention is how expensive the union grocery stores are. One of the few options I have other than crossing the picket lines is at the Asian grocery. The prices there are 25-50% less that at the striking stores. I think I'll be doing more shopping there in the future. At least I won't have to worry about being screwed by the corporations *and* the employees.
And the strikers are suggesting I go to Trader Joe's or Whole Foods while the strike lasts? I love those stores, but they are way too expensive for regular shopping. I appreciate the premium brands when I have the need for them, but not every day.
Look, I support unions. I think they are one of the things that keeps people from being treated like animals. Both by employers and government. A world without unions would be a very bad place indeed. But once they take advantage of that they lose my support.
In short - I feel I'm being taken advantage of by the union. They were offered better benefits than anyone else in the industry. Too many people in this country are struggling for a lot less. This strike seems more like spoiled workers than greedy management and I won't support it.
Oct 14th, '03
Monterey
The 14 hour trip back from Monterey was a marathon. I'm beat.
I wasn't as impressed with Point Lobos as everyone said I was suppose to be. It's nice and all, but just a coastline. We managed to spot lots of critters in the wild. Raccoons, otters, elephant seals, sea lions, deer. The aquarium was very nice. I have about 500 pictures, but I don't think they turned out as nicely as the ones from the Sequoia trip. We had a wonderful lunch at Bubba Gump shrimp restaurant and we have many stories about that.
Oct 11th, '03
Running From The Mind Beams
Well, I said we were heading to Zion, but I lied. We're heading to Monterey. Hopefully this deception will have thrown them off track - The secret Bush/Arnold agents which have been projecting the voices into my head and making me see those bright shooting lights in the darkness. We should be safe as long as I keep the magic rocks close at hand.
Have a great weekend everyone. We'll be back Tuesday.
Oct 10th, '03
$87 Billion Is Chump Change
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's less that 1% of our spending power."
You are wrong.
The government's spending power is derived from it's income, that is, taxes. Not GDP. The only way this number would relate to our GDP is if Bush went around to individuals and businesses and asked them to each to toss some extra money in the hat for his rebuilding scheme. And don't forget that we need to look at discretionary spending only since this is the only money the government has any control over. The Fiscal Year 2004 budget request includes $782 billion for discretionary spending. So the additional $87 billion represents over 11% of our discretionary spending.
In addition, the government has already spent all of the money it has. It's now borrowing money at a rate that may soon cause the source of those loans to dry up. In effect Bush is bankrupting the US to rebuild some other country. A country I might add that has huge oil reserves.
So this $87 billion is a gift of something we don't have to the Iraqi people at a time when our economy is stagnant. Our schools can't buy books. But we'll be borrowing money to pay for Iraq's postal system.
"A small sacrifice, IMHO."
Only if it has a chance of succeeding. If we spend $87 billion (and let's be honest here - it's really more like $300 billion when all is said and done) and Iraq ends up like Iran or Afghanistan, then it's $87 billion we've wasted. And I say wasted because the situation will be worse than it was to start with.
Let me be blunt - I see no reason to think Iraq won't end up just like Afghanistan. That is, an unstable country where the government is only kept in place by foreign military power, and where terrorists proliferate. In fact current events tend to make me believe Iraq will be worse given all the suicide bombing and attacks on UN entities we're seeing.
We only benefit, and thus get a return on our "small sacrifice", if Iraq becomes a stable democracy which then leads to reduced tension in the region. Do you see this happening ? I sure don't.
While we're making great progress in Iraq, it looks to be a place our troops will be dying in as long as they stay. The situation looks very similar to the security nightmare the Israelis find themselves in. Hardly stable.
I agree 100% that the mess needs to be cleaned up, walking away is not an option, and that the responsibility for getting that done rests with the US and the British. But it seems clear to me that we're the wrong people to actually do it. The UN should be given control, all counties that said they supported the invasion should help pay the bill (including Spain and Iceland), and the Pentagon should be left with the responsibility of commanding it's own troops.
It's time for plan B. And there's no way plan B could cost as much as plan A or be more of a quagmire.
$87 billion is a lot of money. Especially when lined up next to other things. Even if it's a small percentage of federal spending, there are still very few things we spend that much on. And we lose sight of that at our fiscal peril.
Oct 9th, '03
San Diego Tourist Information
"A friend told me to get a hold of you for some info on
fun things to do in San Diego. I'm flying down tomorrow and I'm looking for
fun, guy stuff to do that won't cost too much. Are there
any events/sites that you could recommend?
Hmmm....... Guy stuff??? Your friend told you I was a nerd right? I wouldn't know "guy stuff" if it came up and humped my leg.
Lots of clubs and restaurants and people watching in the Gaslamp Quarter. I'm not sure which clubs to point you to, but just walking up and down 4th & 5th streets at night is fun. And the food is great. Parking is easy but pricey at Horton Plaza. Be sure to buy something at the mall to get a substantial discount.
If you're looking for more of a beach/surfer atmosphere head to Ocean Beach. Newport Avenue is the place to head for.
Lots of free touristy stuff in Old Town. Also much good, cheap Mexican food. Try Casa de Pico if you don't see something else cheap you like. Try El Agave if you want the best Mexican food and tequila selection. Old Town Cafe is overrated.
Balboa Park is wonderful just to walk around in. Tons of museums if you want to pay. The aerospace museum is my favorite. And the zoo is right next door. The rose garden and the cactus gardens are nice.
The San Diego zoo is outstanding. But it will take all day to see the whole thing. Skip the pandas unless you really have a dire need to see them, the lines are just too long. The children's zoo has some very nice stuff, so don't skip that.
Seaworld is very pricey but fun. Get there as they open or you'll miss things and it will be too crowded. They have four aquariums which are worth searching for. If I had to pick a tourist thing here to skip it would be Seaworld.
If you like ships at all the Maritime Museum is a must. For one low price they let you climb all over 4-6 ships in the harbor.
Coronado beach is the best beach to stroll along. Very nice view. Great for sunsets. La Jolla Cove is also very nice - Worth the parking nightmare. If you like rocky beaches be sure to go to Sunset Cliffs. At very low tides you'll be able to find some tidepools there.
And don't miss out on local events. We have tons of great street fairs and ethnic festivals. Ditto for concerts. I've seen lots of national acts bars or parks. If you see one, grab a copy of the SD Reader. It has all the local events, but it's hard to find since they get grabbed up quickly.
Other options:
Seaport Village - Nice shopping and view.
Mt Soledad - Great view (if it's clear)
Wild Animal Park - Herds of giraffes
Hillcrest - Great eats and window shopping
Fry's Electronics - If you've never been there
Other tips:
If you're going to be driving a lot, get a Thomas Guide. It's a book of maps. Very useful. Sunsets are a wash if there's coastal fog, but spectacular if there's high clouds. Parking is bad. Be prepared to grab the first spot you see and walk. Traffic during commute times is insane. Stay off the freeways from 7-9 and 4-6.
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